5 things to know for Oct. 28: Presidential race, Middle East, McDonald’s, Washington Post, Toxic smog

Technology

(CNN) — When considering who is living paycheck to paycheck, households with an income of six-figures or more likely aren’t the first to come to mind. However, it turns out that about a fifth of US households that earn more than $150,000 a year are in that situation.Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.1. Presidential raceMost voters think former President Donald Trump will not concede if he loses the 2024 presidential election, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with a sizable minority of his backers saying losing candidates have no obligation to do so. Overall, just 30% of registered voters think Trump will accept the results of the election and concede if he loses, while 73% say that Vice President Kamala Harris would accept an election loss. The poll comes a day after Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he doubled down on his promise for a massive deportation program on Day 1 to reverse an “immigrant invasion.” “The United States is an occupied country,” Trump said, as Democrats projected messages on the exterior of the arena, reading “Trump is Unhinged” and “Trump praised Hitler.”2. Middle EastNegotiations for a ceasefire and to secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza are not expected to see “significant progress” until a winner is declared in the US presidential election, a source briefed on the talks told CNN. The latest round of talks, which began in Qatar on Sunday, did not focus on achieving a deal, but rather on jump-starting the process, the source added. The discussions also covered the war in Lebanon, as well as Iran and its regional influence. Meanwhile, Iran has vowed to respond to Israel’s strikes on the country Saturday, which Tehran says killed five people, but said it does not want a wider war. Israel said the strikes hit military targets and were in response to Iran’s attacks on Israel earlier this month.3. McDonald’sMcDonald’s will resume selling Quarter Pounders in all its restaurants this week after considering new data regarding an E. coli outbreak linked to the burgers, the company said Sunday. The CDC issued a food safety alert last Tuesday warning that dozens of people reported becoming sick after eating Quarter Pounders. The E. coli outbreak has led to 75 illnesses across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death, according to the latest information from the CDC. Most of the related illnesses occurred in Colorado. A specific ingredient has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, federal agencies said Friday, but the FDA previously said slivered onions or beef patties were the likely source of contamination.4. Washington PostDays after The Washington Post announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate, its billionaire owner remains silent. Jeff Bezos has so far declined to comment, even as his own paper’s journalists reported that he was the one who ultimately spiked the planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Many current and former newspaper staffers feel the timing of the announcement was highly suspect and has led them to believe Bezos’s business interests influenced the decision. On Friday, Donald Trump met with executives from Blue Origin, the space exploration company owned by Bezos, hours after the Post announced its decision. The company has a $3.4 billion contract with the federal government to build a new spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the moon’s surface.5. Toxic smogA thick, toxic smog has enveloped northern India and eastern Pakistan just days before the start of Diwali, a festival typically celebrated with fireworks that each year sends air quality plummeting. The air quality index in India’s capital Delhi earlier today was roughly 250, after days in the “very unhealthy” zone above 200, according to IQAir, which tracks global air quality. In the Pakistani city of Lahore, roughly 15 miles from the Indian border, air quality today surpassed a “hazardous” 500 — almost 65 times the World Health Organization’s guidelines for healthy air — making it the most polluted city in the world, according to IQAir. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is set to begin Thursday. During the five-day celebration, people gather with their families, feast and set off firecrackers, further exacerbating air pollution.BREAKFAST BROWSESchool resumes in Asheville, NCA month after Helene pummeled western North Carolina as a tropical storm, students in the Asheville area have started returning to classrooms. The Asheville City Schools district will reopen on a modified schedule today , according to the district.Health alert for kidsChildren who have coughs that go on for weeks may have a type of walking pneumonia that’s been surging in the US this year — and they may need a different antibiotic regimen to treat it, infectious disease experts say.Shorter work week = thriving economyResearch shows Iceland’s economy is outperforming most other European countries after workers opted for less time in the office with no pay loss.Hidden in the wallsYou never know what renovating your old home might turn up: a Chicago-area resident once found a human skull in his walls. Decades later, DNA technology helped identified the remains.What all those sexy Halloween costumes are doing to kidsRather than helping them explore identities such as doctors or scientists, Halloween costumes often sexualize girls. Here’s how parents can combat this problem.TODAY’S NUMBER$20A North Carolina man knew it was his lucky day when he spotted a $20 bill in the parking lot of a convenience store. He had no idea how lucky until the scratch-off he bought with the money revealed his prize: $1 million.TODAY’S QUOTE“I will never excuse murder, and those were brutal, premeditated murders.”Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, explaining his recommendation to resentence Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murder of their parents.TODAY’S WEATHERCheck your local forecast here > > >AND FINALLY …Dramatic rescueA Medina County, Ohio firefighter’s bodycam captured the courageous rescue of a woman who was trapped in the basement of her burning house and had to be pulled from a small window.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.​THE-CNN-WIRE (TM) & © 2024 CABLE NEWS NETWORK, INC., A TIME WARNER COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

UK’s new Minister for Science and Technology comes to US touting Britain’s AI benefits

Science and Health

Interview Peter Kyle, the UK’s new Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has been in America this week promoting British expertise in AI and other areas. He took the time to sit down with journalists on Friday to explain his plans.
On Thursday, Kyle met with tech giants in Seattle and he has now brought his message down south. He’s also promoting the UK’s AI Safety Institute, which is opening an offshoot in San Francisco staffed by British and American techies later this year.
Reporters: Welcome back to the US. How has your reception here been?

Kyle: I was here in February when I was a shadow Secretary of State preparing a program for the government. I met many companies in Seattle and here, but that was on a listening exercise. Every company back then spoke about the instability they saw in the UK – economically and politically. There were lots of conversations about energy supply, the price of electricity, connection to the grid, regulatory challenges, and issues of planning.

Those are issues, which I then fed into our program of government. And now, three and a half months in, I’ve come back and said, “Look what we’ve done.” There is stability in our politics. There is stability in the way we’re managing the economy. We stood on a platform of a decade of national renewal, so we are signaling 10 years into the future on economic and social policy and the way that we’re managing the country.
A bill has been drafted. It will be introduced to Parliament soon, but already powers have been given to Secretaries of State to intervene and expedite investments into the UK’s infrastructure. Labs for life sciences and datacenters are now national planning priorities and will be expedited.

Reporters: What has the effect of Brexit been in terms of Americans’ perception of Britain?
Kyle: Brexit has only been mentioned once on this trip, and that was at a dinner yesterday by one of the people around the table.
So if you look at the Investment Summit we had last week, that raised £63 billion ($82 billion) worth of pledged investment into the UK, £24.3 billion of that was directly AI related. Add on another £10 billion which is life sciences related, and you see that more than half of the total is related to the economy of the future.

What was pledged last week is more than double what the previous government got in its last Investment Summit, and as much was pledged in AI investment this year than the previous Summit raised in total. And that shows that Britain is connected to the industries of the future and is open for business in the key areas that really matter in the global economy.
Reporters: California’s governor recently vetoed the state’s own AI bill. How do the UK and other governments view California as an influencer on AI policy?
Kyle: California does have an outsized influence. And California is a sizable economy in its own right, not just legislatively, but actually just the singularity of its powerful companies. The fact that I’m here for the second time this year, the fact that I’m going to be a regular visitor here, shows not just the power of these individual companies but the collective power of Seattle and Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

I don’t want to be a Secretary of State that sits in their office thinking, ‘I can control things by legislating and regulating from Westminster,’ because those days have gone when it comes to this area

It shows the respect that governments should be showing companies that innovate on the scale that some of these companies are. I don’t want to be a Secretary of State that sits in their office thinking, “I can control things by legislating and regulating from Westminster,” because those days have gone when it comes to this area. We need to have a far more relationship-based approach to engaging with big tech.
What I’m doing in Britain is putting the Safety Institute onto a statutory footing, but I’m enshrining the voluntary code that has already been agreed by all of the frontier AI companies. I have tasked every regulator in the UK to do an assessment about how AI will impact the sectors that they regulate, and they must come up with plans to show that they are adapting to the potential impact into the future.
Why am I doing this? I don’t want to disrupt the regulatory environment to stifle innovation. But secondly, I want to create an environment where fast evolving technologies can have a soft landing into societies.
We need to safely exploit all the potential of AI. We have to be very cognizant that this isn’t just Britain and America and Europe and some allied, like-minded, democratic Asian countries. If we don’t win this, if we don’t stay at the cutting edge of innovation, China will get there.

Reporters: Are you worried that regulation could jeopardize the relationships you have with the AI labs at present?
Kyle: I think that the relationship is getting deeper and more trusting. And I think the benefits of understanding safety at a very deep level, and for those companies to be able to adapt accordingly, are speaking for themselves. So it’s not disruptive to what we’re doing.
I think everybody understands this fundamental political challenge that we have and a fundamental sort of existential challenge that they have. If there is a model that makes its way into the public, and it leads to a widespread societal harm or damage to national security, someone’s gonna have to hold the can for that. I don’t think any government would survive the next election if harm emerged in society [from AI].
Reporters: We’re two weeks away from the presidential election. Do you have thoughts about how AI policy could differ between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?
Kyle: As a government, we deeply respect the choices that the American people will make, and we’ll work with whatever administration emerges after the election. ®

Bose SoundLink Flex Is The Perfect Travel Speaker To Take Anywhere

Travel

Bose is one of those consumer brands that can divide a room full of nerds. Plenty of people swear by the audio brand and love its products. Some others say Bose products are pricey and the company doesn’t always show technical specifications. I tend to fall into the first camp because I’ve tested quite a few Bose products and I’ve always found them high quality even though they tend to be a bit more expensive than some other brands.

Following on from my recent review of the Bose SoundLink Max, this week I am looking at the Bose SoundLink Flex, a smaller Bluetooth speaker that was recently launched in its second iteration. The Second Generation SoundLink Flex is the same price as its predecessor but now incorporates some important changes that make it an even more compelling proposition.

The new Bose SoundLink Flex is now able to take advantage of the excellent Bose smartphone app which offers access to various customization options and other features. For example, there’s a graphic equalizer for tweaking the speaker’s tone or SimpleSync, an easy way for linking the Soundlink Flex with another compatible Bose product for a multi-speaker stereo setup that’s ideal for parties.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is shown here in Arctic Sage. BOSE
Another new feature is the Shortcut button which can be programmed using the Bose app as a SimpleSync button, for accessing a voice assistant or to trigger Spotify Connect. Along with the support for the Bose app, the new version of the speaker now supports AAC and aptX Bluetooth audio codecs and will even work with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology when used with a compatible Android device.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is about the size of a small clutch bag and sports a crisp and nuanced sound with a surprisingly big bass. It’s the perfect travel speaker that’s small enough to pack into your luggage but with a big enough sound to fill a hotel room.

The speaker can play standing up, on its back or even hanging upside down because PositionIQ Technology senses the speaker’s orientation and optimizes the audio to ensure there’s plenty of sound projected. There’s also a textile loop on the end of the speaker that can be fitted with a carabineer for hanging the speaker on a tent spar or something similar. I’d love to have seen a color-coordinated carabineer in the box.

On the top of the SoundLink Flex is a strip of waterproof touch controls for doing everything from … [+] turning the speaker on or off, to adjusting the volume levels.Bose
There is a strip of waterproof controls running along the top of the SoundLink Flex. The Buttons include a power switch, Bluetooth pairing, Shortcut button, plus a rtrio of transport controls and volume adjusters. One thing I like about the power button is it only needs a short press to turn on or off, unlike some Bluetooth speakers.
With an IP67 rating, the Bose SoundLink Flex is both waterproof and dust-resistant, ensuring it can be used anywhere. It will even float if it drops in the bath or is thrown in a swimming pool. And thanks to the silicone-wrapped body, the speaker is also resistant to scuffs and scratches so should stay looking good for years.
A full charge of the Bose SoundLink Flex’s rechargeable battery can provide up to 12 hours of playtime, plus it can double as a full-duplex speakerphone because there is a microphone built-in. So, if you do need to take an important business call while chilling at the pool, that won’t be a problem.Pack the Bose SoundLink Flex in the back of the bar or hitch it to your backpack. The speaker is … [+] rugged and has a long-lasting battery plus great sound.Bose
Verdict: As we’ve come to expect with Bose, there are few technical specifications listed for the Bose SoundLink Flex, so you’ll have to use your ears to judge the sound. What we do know is the speaker uses Bluetooth 5.3 and supports SBC, AAC, apt X and Snapdragon Sound. That’s about it. I can’t quote you the power output in Watts and neither can I tell you how big the drivers are. All I can say is this is a gorgeous speaker with high-quality construction, great sound, good looks and a speakerphone function. What more do you want? Highly Recommended.
Pricing & Availability: The Bose SoundLink Flex is available in Black, Blue Dusk, Sandstone and a very fetching Alpine Sage, which is a minty green shade. The price is $149 / £149.95 / €179.95.

Bose SoundLink Flex Is The Perfect Travel Speaker To Take Anywhere

Travel

Bose is one of those consumer brands that can divide a room full of nerds. Plenty of people swear by the audio brand and love its products. Some others say Bose products are pricey and the company doesn’t always show technical specifications. I tend to fall into the first camp because I’ve tested quite a few Bose products and I’ve always found them high quality even though they tend to be a bit more expensive than some other brands.

Following on from my recent review of the Bose SoundLink Max, this week I am looking at the Bose SoundLink Flex, a smaller Bluetooth speaker that was recently launched in its second iteration. The Second Generation SoundLink Flex is the same price as its predecessor but now incorporates some important changes that make it an even more compelling proposition.

The new Bose SoundLink Flex is now able to take advantage of the excellent Bose smartphone app which offers access to various customization options and other features. For example, there’s a graphic equalizer for tweaking the speaker’s tone or SimpleSync, an easy way for linking the Soundlink Flex with another compatible Bose product for a multi-speaker stereo setup that’s ideal for parties.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is shown here in Arctic Sage. BOSE
Another new feature is the Shortcut button which can be programmed using the Bose app as a SimpleSync button, for accessing a voice assistant or to trigger Spotify Connect. Along with the support for the Bose app, the new version of the speaker now supports AAC and aptX Bluetooth audio codecs and will even work with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Technology when used with a compatible Android device.

The Bose SoundLink Flex is about the size of a small clutch bag and sports a crisp and nuanced sound with a surprisingly big bass. It’s the perfect travel speaker that’s small enough to pack into your luggage but with a big enough sound to fill a hotel room.

The speaker can play standing up, on its back or even hanging upside down because PositionIQ Technology senses the speaker’s orientation and optimizes the audio to ensure there’s plenty of sound projected. There’s also a textile loop on the end of the speaker that can be fitted with a carabineer for hanging the speaker on a tent spar or something similar. I’d love to have seen a color-coordinated carabineer in the box.

On the top of the SoundLink Flex is a strip of waterproof touch controls for doing everything from … [+] turning the speaker on or off, to adjusting the volume levels.Bose
There is a strip of waterproof controls running along the top of the SoundLink Flex. The Buttons include a power switch, Bluetooth pairing, Shortcut button, plus a rtrio of transport controls and volume adjusters. One thing I like about the power button is it only needs a short press to turn on or off, unlike some Bluetooth speakers.
With an IP67 rating, the Bose SoundLink Flex is both waterproof and dust-resistant, ensuring it can be used anywhere. It will even float if it drops in the bath or is thrown in a swimming pool. And thanks to the silicone-wrapped body, the speaker is also resistant to scuffs and scratches so should stay looking good for years.
A full charge of the Bose SoundLink Flex’s rechargeable battery can provide up to 12 hours of playtime, plus it can double as a full-duplex speakerphone because there is a microphone built-in. So, if you do need to take an important business call while chilling at the pool, that won’t be a problem.Pack the Bose SoundLink Flex in the back of the bar or hitch it to your backpack. The speaker is … [+] rugged and has a long-lasting battery plus great sound.Bose
Verdict: As we’ve come to expect with Bose, there are few technical specifications listed for the Bose SoundLink Flex, so you’ll have to use your ears to judge the sound. What we do know is the speaker uses Bluetooth 5.3 and supports SBC, AAC, apt X and Snapdragon Sound. That’s about it. I can’t quote you the power output in Watts and neither can I tell you how big the drivers are. All I can say is this is a gorgeous speaker with high-quality construction, great sound, good looks and a speakerphone function. What more do you want? Highly Recommended.
Pricing & Availability: The Bose SoundLink Flex is available in Black, Blue Dusk, Sandstone and a very fetching Alpine Sage, which is a minty green shade. The price is $149 / £149.95 / €179.95.

Vendors name many issues that will shape upholstery business in 2025

Business News

HIGH POINT — Upholstery manufacturers are thinking about numerous issues that will impact their business strategies for 2025 and beyond, inside the factory and outside of their control.Nearly unanimously, industry executives expect the coming year to be an improvement over 2024, and many said they’ve used the past few months to plan for growth and expanded market share.
Sean O’Connor
“We’ve been successful in expanding our customer base over the past three markets, and we’ve secured large retail accounts that will impact our business,” said Sean O’Connor, president of Universal Furniture. “We’ve worked diligently to fill any holes in our product line-up, and we’re placing an emphasis on the upholstery business, a thorough product line up and emphasis on the upholstery business.
“Universal is known as a great bedroom, dining and accents resource and strategic to our growth is our expansion into the outdoor space and becoming more of a source for motion and stationary upholstery made in fabric and leather, both domestically and internationally,” he continued. “That’s where our new vice president of upholstery, Rick Lovegrove, comes in.”
O’Connor added that direct-container business, which has been on hold as Universal transitioned to manufacturing in Vietnam, is back as an option for customers. He noted that Universal has the ability to mix almost the entirety of the case goods, upholstery and motion assortment via direct container.
Caroline Hipple
At Hooker Furnishings, Caroline Hipple, chief creative officer, said that a strategic merchandising direction is top of mind.
“In 2025, and beyond, we will continue to leverage the combined strengths of our Legacy brands and present them across a variety of consumer lifestyles within our new ‘Collected Living by HF’ merchandising direction,” Hipple said. “Making its debut at the October 2024 High Point Market, this new strategic evolution positions our company as a more integrated whole-home and consumer-centric resource with an elevated aesthetic and a more experiential presentation.
“Combining products from our Bradington-Young, Hooker Furniture, HF Custom, M, Sunset West and BOBO Intriguing Objects brands,  the new approach was designed to drive creative excellence through all functional areas of each of our business units, from products to marketing to service and delivery.”
Meganne Wecker
Technology continues to be one of the key factors shaping business at Skyline Furniture Manufacturing. President Meganne Wecker said the company will continue to build on its technology investment as a trade growth strategy.
“Last year, we made significant investments in creating a website and trade portal that showcases our extensive options and custom offerings for designers,” Wecker said. “This year, we’ve continued to build on that investment.
“At market, designers will see new and exclusive fabrics and silhouettes. We understand how crucial exclusivity is to the trade, and our supply chain allows for endless customization,” she continued.
“We are really excited about the opportunity to expand the business and make new partnerships. In the coming months, we will continue to invest in the trade offering and hope to develop additional programs that give designers the tools they need to bring their visions to life.”
Michael Hsieh
Michael Hsieh, CEO at Lifestyle Enterprise, said that inventory levels are a key consideration for the upholstery category.
“Lifestyle has made a couple of major investments that will set the stage for growth in 2025,” Hsieh said. “First is our new warehouse building in Malaysia where we will be stocking an inventory of finished goods. This program will allow retailers who are concerned with inventory levels to buy the values from Lifestyle but not have to commit to a container program. We have committed to maintaining an inventory of Total Home products (motion, stationary, chairs, occasion products, dining, and bedroom) that will be completely mixable and ship in two weeks.
“Additionally, we have invested in a new office in Vietnam where we will have a team of employees to manage our factory relationships, oversee quality control, conduct testing and support our customers with a staff of full-time employees with feet on the ground.”
Alex Reeves
Craftmaster is focusing on several “big things” that will shape its upholstery offering in 2025, according to Alex Reeves, president.
“For Craftmaster, it’s not one big thing, but a focus on many smaller things, that will continue to sharpen our business in 2025,” Reeves said. “Quality first, then speed of delivery is our target for production and all things Craftmaster.
“Continuous improvement is our culture, so the forefront of our planning is always fine-tuning the processes that maximize our quality and customer experience. We have always excelled at simplifying the sell-through procedure at retail. This combination of simplicity, consistent quality and speed of delivery has worked well for our customer base,” he continued.
“Also, we are always looking for products that deliver excitement to the retail floors and we stay on top of fashion trends and unique fabrics throughout the year.”
Phil Brown
Customization will shape the upholstery category at Hancock & Moore, Jessica Charles and Maitland Smith, said Phil Brown, president.
“We are focusing on adding to our customizable programs to give consumers the experience of designing their own furniture to fit their individual design needs,” Brown said. “We are expanding on selections in our motion line based on feedback of consumer needs.
“For example, this market we are introducing a new, updated lift chair that reclines and both lifts, and expansion into our Your Way stationary program for both modern and classic tastes, as well as product that hones in on craftsmanship and details indicative of our quality.”
David Koehler
At AICO, David Koehler, president, said that the company’s “reinvention” as an upholstery supplier will shape its upholstery category in 2025.
“We will continue to develop distinctive, yet salable looks, different than what is in the marketplace, that will help our customers around the world achieve success,” Koehler said. “Our upholstery offering has evolved so much in the past two years. We will bring more new looks in 2025 that display our unique perspective, always having our customer in mind and what will drive their success.
“Despite the broader economic challenges in the home furnishings space, we have acquired more upholstery market share in the past two years than ever before.”
Lori Sadowski
McKinley Leather president Lori M. Sadowski is watching what happens in housing.
“The overriding factor that will shape our upholstery business in 2025 is the housing market – mortgage rates have gone down a little, and we can already feel the effects of that,” Sadowski said. “Since McKinley is so well-seating in special order business, we feel all the crests and valleys in the current market.
“We had a bad lull over the summer, but orders have rebounded quite well with school back in session.  We’re hoping that a loosening in the housing market will accelerate even more business,” she continued.
“Another factor that will help McKinley are rising container costs since our production is all domestic. Struggles continue to be rising labor costs, and we feel a major strain in this arena.”
Spin, one of nearly a dozen Polish upholstery manufacturers at High Point Market, is introducing new product geared to specific consumer personas, according to Kacper Straube, sales manager.
“The April edition of High Point Market allowed us to acquire new contacts with warehouse and transport companies,” Straube said. “Due to the number of furniture fairs this fall that we attend (Equip Hotel in Paris, France, INDEX in Riyadh, KSA) we are learning how new markets in different parts of the world work and offering our solutions.
“For example, at each stage of life, people need comfort. Children and teenagers have to feel comfort while drawing, playing and learning. Young adults must feel comfortable without spending thousands of dollars. Parents need furniture pieces that can withstand their kids. Elders don’t need to feel pain while chilling.
“We will be there for all of them.”
See also:

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Political science panels aim to inform DePaul community ahead of election

Science and Health

The DePaul University political science department is trying to reach out to students ahead of the upcoming election through a series of discussion panels. 
In the first of three planned panel events, held on Oct. 10, DePaul professors discussed the implications of the election for the Supreme Court, foreign policy, current polling and voter participation. More than 60 students and faculty members attended, and a similar turnout is expected for the second panel on Oct. 30.
During the panel, political science professors Joe Mello, Wayne Steger and Scott Hibbard spoke, alongside Kristen Pengelly, a professor in DePaul’s College of Communication.
DePaul students and faculty gather on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in the Levan Center to hear Wayne Steger present in a panel. Steger explained various polls and election outcome predictions for the election. (Sarah Hendry)
Mello expressed concerns that Trump’s reelection would lead to the loss of an impartial Supreme Court and place American democracy in danger.
“My real fear is if we lose the sanity of a court that calls ‘balls and strikes,’ then we are in a worse situation than we were in 2020 — when at least the court was there to stop Trump from overturning the election,” Mello said.
Mello said he thinks that there is a high probability that both Trump and Harris would create a super majority on the Supreme Court if either were elected.
Hibbard, the political science department chair, repeated Mello’s concerns about the risk of unrestrained executive power in a second Trump term.
“During the first Trump administration … he would issue orders … but the people around him disregarded orders and assumed he would forget that he had given orders — because some of them were illegal,” Hibbard said.“What we’re seeing now is an effort to recruit people that are going to be more supportive of Trump’s agenda.”
He emphasized the “stark” differences between the candidates and said that Harris foreign policy would likely be a continuation of Biden era policy.
Before the discussion began, Molly Andolina, a political science professor and the panel moderator, emphasized the speakers’ motivation.
“Our goal here is not to sell you anything. It’s not to convince you to vote for any particular candidate or the righteousness of one over the other. It is to educate you,” Andolina said.
DePaul professor, Scott Hibbard, speaks in a panel held by the political science department on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in the Levan Center. Hibbard discussed the foreign policy implications of the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Karina Ramirez, a political science student, appreciated the informative aspect of the panel.
“I believe that it is important to receive as much information and insight on the upcoming election as possible,” Ramirez said. “This election (is) important as we are witnessing the possibility of our first woman of color president. (There is a) large influence of young voters who believe that a change is necessary and very much possible.”
DePaul student Madison Hanna also appreciated the insights from professors, especially the discussion about prediction markets led by Steger.
“I attended the election panel to gain as much insight as possible on the specifics that make this election unique…. There are so many elements that make this election important and I’m glad to see so many of my peers engaged and ready to vote,” Hanna said.
While campaigns like Vote DePaul encourage voter registration, Andolina said that the political science department is more focused on informing students, rather than encouraging voter registration.
“The (political science) department is less focused on encouraging involvement than on educating students about the issues, critical groups and key races in the 2024 elections,” Andolina said, encouraging new voters to pay attention to contested lower offices, do a little research and “be prepared to vote for every office, not just the leader of the free world.”
According to Andolina, if young voters participate in large enough numbers, they can impact the election outcome.
Ramirez believes every vote matters and that silence in an important election year is not an option.
“I believe that young voters are underestimated,” she said. “We have become very resourceful and critical of where we get our information from. We have become socially aware of the impact our voices have in politics and I think it’s a great thing — we have taken advantage of it.”
The political science department’s next panel on Oct. 30 is at 4:30 p.m. in Levan Center 505 and will feature a presentation from Chicago Votes, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to inform young Chicagoans about politics. The final panel will be held on Nov. 7 at the same time and location and will review the results of the election.
Andolina expressed enthusiasm that the department is able to hold events like this.
“What’s great about these panels is that the faculty are sharing their professional insights, not their personal preferences,” Andolina said. “In a world where so much of social media and news media are promoting an agenda, universities can provide objective assessments of both the key issues and the state of the race.”
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Business Monday: Veteran finds success with honey while learning to live sustainably

Business News

Even after 18 years in the U.S. Navy, Anthony Booker continues to be a busy bee as he develops a new agribusiness on the Big Island while still learning the ropes of sustainable farming and beekeeping.

Anthony Booker checks on the honey production from one of his hives behind his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

The former Petty Officer Second Class dental hygienist in the Navy did not begin as a natural beekeeper, making many mistakes in the beginning before discovering Hoʻola Farms and its programs for veterans.

But through the nonprofit’s classes and guidance, Booker became a quick study. Last year, he entered his bright, yellow honey in the annual Big Island Beekeeper Associationʻs Hawaiian Honey Challenge, and during his first year of producing honey, he earned first place in the Peopleʻs Choice for Light Liquid Honey. 

Now, the 52-year-old is keeping two types of bees that produce two types of honey and has officially started his own agribusiness – Big Bʻz Hawaiian Honey.

Anthony Booker holds a jar of his award-winning Big Bʻz Hawaiian Honey that he extracted from his hives and made at his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

It all started when he moved from Washington to Hawaiʻi during the COVID-19 pandemic. After Booker saw the high price of honey in stored, he began beekeeping on his property in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

But the tutorials he watched and read online did not bode well for the bees in his four hives that were living on the islands.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD“I bought hives before I took a class and, unfortunately, I was doing everything wrong,” he said. “Hawaiʻi is one of the places you donʻt have to feed your bees, you donʻt have to winterize them and it rains enough here that water isnʻt necessary. When my instructor found out I was feeding them, it was too little too late.”

Booker ultimately lost one hive, but he learned from his mistakes through education and guidance at Ho’ola Farms, a place he said was a perfect match for him.

Anthony Booker lights a smoker, which is used to neutralize the aggravation of honeybees, before suiting up to check on honey production in his hives at Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

“A big part of me moving to Hawaiʻi was that I knew I wanted about an acre of land to grow edible plants that I could forage and use to live sustainably,” Booker said. “I started taking classes with Ho’ola Farms and really enjoyed the things I learned. They gave us the opportunity to get out there and see what other people were doing and how they were going about farming on the island.” 

Hoʻola Farms provides educational training in agriculture and hands-on experiences for the community, with an emphasis on military veterans and first responders as well as their families and caregivers.

While growing food can be a great therapy for veterans and first responders, Hoʻola Farms also hopes to create a more sustainable future for the people of Hawaiʻi Island. 

Anthony Booker uses smoke to calm the bees before checking on the honey production from one of his hives in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADAt Hoʻola Farms, Booker took the Intro to Grow workshop, Financial for Farmers and the Art of Beekeeping, which was helpful because he already had four hives on his property in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

Hoʻola Farms’ four-week course is taught by Susan Collins, a beekeeper, educator and founder of Bird and Bee Hawaiʻi, and includes virtual classes and field days at local, operational farms and businesses.

Within that time, Collins is able to teach students about the importance of pollinators and the honey bee for Hawaiʻi, hive inspection, bee intelligence, hive components, honey harvest, colony management, and bee pests and disease. 

Anthony Booker checks on the honey production from one of his hives behind his home in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024, and says he does not extract until the hive is full as to not disturb the bees more than necessary. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

Since taking the class, Booker has nurtured his hives to a healthy place, and they are rewarding him with honey.

“It’s a lot of work extracting honey, but I really enjoy it and I thought the bright, yellow honey the bees were making was so good,” Booker said. “My four hives quickly turned into six hives and I’m now at eight hives and have two more to put together.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADWhile he has not sold much honey in Hawaiʻi, Booker found there is demand for it on the mainland. 

“I have some things in the works and family members in Florida interested in selling the honey there which is great for me,” Booker said. “I have sent both types of honey to friends and family back home on the mainland and everyone loves it. There is definitely a demand for Hawaiian honey there, I just donʻt have the supply yet.” 

Bees are seen working in one of Anthony Bookerʻs hives in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Oct. 20, 2024. (Kelsey Walling/Big Island Now)

While he is pursuing beekeeping and his honey business, Booker is also studying massage therapy and will be finishing school in December.

“Massage therapy is just the complete opposite of dentistry in that people actually want to go to their massage appointments and are sad when Iʻm booked,” Booker said. “Massage therapy is great for many reasons, one being that I can be my own boss. This will help open my time to taking care of the hives, making more honey, growing my own edible garden and working on my other goals.”

Many of Bookerʻs long-term goals are ideas that would increase the access to healthy foods that are produced sustainably for everyone on Hawaiʻi Island.

“Since being here and learning more about agriculture, one of the things I personally want to do is find a way to plant fruit trees every 50 to 100 yards in downtown Hilo, so people donʻt have to worry about starving,” Booker said. “Even here in [Hawaiian Paradise Park], imagine if every house had just one fruit tree outside their property that produced fruit for everyone to share. These kinds of things would help everyone.

Anthony Booker puts away one portion of a hive after checking on honey production in Hawaiian Paradise Park in Keaʻau on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Booker is excited to dedicate more time to working toward a future of living sustainably by growing food for himself and his community. He also hopes to encourage the people who move to Hawaiʻi about the importance of growing food, especially on an island. 

“Food sovereignty is a big part of Hoʻola Farms and I really appreciated the education surrounding the idea of making Hawaiʻi Island sustainable for Hawaiʻi Island,” Booker said. “Especially if we have another pandemic, or something bad happens, we need to be able to stand by ourselves while also sharing with one another.”

For anyone interested in starting a business and learning the basics of sustainable agriculture in Hawaiʻi, Booker highly recommends the programs through Hoʻola Farms.

“When I was taking their classes, I got to go to so many different farms, meet several people doing what I wanted to do, use a commercial kitchen in Hilo and learn how to maintain a sustainable garden,” Booker said. “College classes donʻt aways give you that hands-on experience and this was what really helped me start my own agribusiness.”

When it comes to beekeeping in particular, he has only one piece of advice for anyone interested in pursuing it as a small business or hobby: “Take a beekeeping introduction class before getting hives. Trust me, it will save you money and time.”

Imperial College Business School Hosts 2024 Ideas to Impact Challenge

Business News

On 22nd May 2024, Imperial College Business School held its annual “Ideas to Impact Challenge”, uniting academics, entrepreneurs, and students to explore how enterprise and technology can create tangible social impact. Eight student teams pitched innovative business ideas aimed at solving global challenges and positively impacting a million lives.
The top three teams were awarded start-up funds, along with ongoing coaching, mentoring, and business support from College experts. Discussions throughout the event emphasized the power of technology in addressing issues like poverty and climate change.
In a keynote speech, social innovator Myriam Taylor encouraged the finalists to embrace their role as catalysts for change, emphasizing the importance of turning ideas into action for global good.
The event showcased the creativity and drive of the next generation of leaders, reaffirming Imperial’s commitment to fostering impactful, socially conscious entrepreneurship.
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